Breakwater (13 page)

“Ender, I’m surprised to see you here.” Ayu spoke softly to my left. I put a hand on the table, the material under my fingers soft and warm.

As if a body had only recently lain on it.

I snatched my hand up. “I want to speak with Finley. I want to see if there is something we can do to support her.”

She let out a tired sigh and shook her head. “No one has seen the princess in months. She is locked up in her rooms with only guards to keep her company.”

“And if she’s not dead before the crowning ceremony?”

Her eyes met mine, the sorrow in them deep. “I don’t believe that is even an option for Requiem. You can do nothing to help her, Ender. Though, I see it in you. You have a healer’s heart and you want to help. It is admirable, but a deadly desire in the Deep.”

She may have been right, but I had to see for myself. “Would she make a better ruler?”

“Anyone would make a better ruler. Even Blue, Requiem’s bitch of a wife, would make a better ruler, for she does not have her husband’s cruelty or intelligence. If she were not missing, perhaps she could help temper Requiem. But she was ‘misplaced’ soon after the king died.” Ayu shook her head, braids dancing. “No, there is nothing to be done for it. Requiem has a stranglehold on our people, one we cannot break free of.”

I snorted. “You all have given up so easily. I thought the Undines were some legendary family with strength to the core of them.”

Expecting her to be angry, and lash out me, I was shocked when she didn’t. “Not when it has been beaten out of them, Ender.”

I backed slowly out of the room. “Then perhaps you deserve Requiem as a leader, since you are not willing to stand up to him.” Her eyes followed me and when I turned at the door I heard her whisper.

“Perhaps this is our punishment for our pride, Ender. Remember that. There is always a downfall when pride lifts you too high.”

Shutting the door behind me, I leaned against it, thinking. So the people here were downtrodden, and though I felt bad for them, I also didn’t want to get pulled into their struggles.

Who was I kidding? We were yanked, kicking and screaming, into this. Now it was a question of who would survive this growing storm as it gathered on the horizon.

The Undines, or me and Bella.

An older Undine, his hair white and hanging in long curls to his waist, approached from the far end of the hallway. He leaned on a cane, limping as he walked, and his ears stuck out from the sides of his head like handles on a jug. But his eyes were kind, and they didn’t shy from me as he drew close. “Terraling, you look lost. Can I help you?”

Terraling. That was what my family—the earth elementals—was known as outside the Rim, and for a moment the name caught me off guard it had been so long since I’d heard it.

Putting my right hand over my heart I gave him a bow from the waist. “Thank you. Can you direct me to the kitchens?”

“I’m going that way myself, perhaps you will escort me?” He raised his brows, the thick bushy things touching his hairline.

I bowed again and allowed him to lead, a half step ahead of me.

“How do you like the Deep so far, Ender?”

Struggling to find the right words, I cleared my throat before answering. “It is not what I expected.”

“Ah, things outside our own families rarely are.”

“I’m sorry, but I didn’t catch your name.” Perhaps he was someone important. Or worse, sided with Requiem.

“I didn’t give it. Around here, it is best no one knows when help is given. That is a sure way to spend the remainder of your life stuffed into the cells.”

I licked my lips, knowing I was taking a chance. “Like the other ambassadors?”

The old man didn’t look at me, but I saw the tension run across his shoulders and his eyes watered suddenly, as if he were on the verge of tears.

Looked like I’d hit my mark, but even so, he said nothing of my question.

“Well, here we are. The kitchens. If I can make a suggestion as to the fare you are about to partake?” He turned to face me, eyes serious.

“Of course.”

“I find the fruit to be the best form of sustenance these days. Only the fruit. And perhaps a little rainwater from the outer levels.” He gave me a wink and I bowed to him a second time.

“I will accede to your wisdom. Thank you.”

He said nothing more, only turned and continued down the hall to wherever it was he was going.

I watched him until he was out of sight, around the corner, the steady thump of his cane fading. Putting a hand to the doors, I tugged. They were locked, though I wasn’t terribly surprised. If you’re going to poison the food, you aren’t going to just leave it out for anyone to get into.

I pulled my dagger from my vest and worked it between the door and the wall. Jiggling and turning, I was rewarded with a soft click of the door opening. Looking at the blade, I was surprised it hadn’t cracked with the force I’d exerted. If I made it back to the Rim . . . no,
when
I made it back to the Rim, I hoped Ash would hold to his word and teach me the art of blacksmithing.

I slipped through the door and into the room, dim shadows obscuring everything. Everything except the muffled whispers and the subtle movement of bodies crouching low to the ground.

I tightened my grip on my dagger and stepped into the room. Children’s voices, high and uncertain, whispered to each other and pulled me forward.

“Who is it?”

“I don’t know. She’s not an Undine.”

I cleared my throat. “I’m an Ender from the Rim. Who are you?”

A tiny head popped up from behind a kitchen table. A young Undine, maybe ten years old, his eyes sunken into his head and cheeks hollow with hunger. “We just came to get something to eat.”

I put my dagger away, tucking it under my vest. Not easy to grab, but I didn’t want to lose it. The two children watched me and I was reminded kids were often far more honest than any adult.

So while the old man had given good advice, a second opinion wouldn’t hurt. “Me too. Perhaps you can help me. Is there anything in here that hasn’t been tainted with puffer fish?”

The little boy searched around and finally handed me a large mango. “Here, the fruit is clean. Everything else has puffer in it by the smell.” He gave a loud sniff to emphasize his point. I was glad the old man had been telling the truth, at least.

I took the proffered fruit, peeled the skin with my teeth then bit into it as I watched the two kids, twins by the looks of them, scurry around the kitchen. “What are your names?”

“No, we can’t tell you that.” The boy shook his head. “You could tell . . . Requiem”—he stumbled over the name—“we were here and he would send his sharks to eat us.”

His sister nodded. “They’d skin us alive.”

How a shark could skin them alive, I didn’t know, but a child’s fears were always based on true possibility.

It seemed as though everyone within the Deep was afraid to be known.

Another direction then. “Why do you take the food from here? Why not just go fishing?”

They stopped and the boy looked up at me. “Requiem made it so all the fish will only come to him. Mama said it’s so we will make him king because he will feed us then. Mama hates him.”

I rocked back on my heels, eating my mango, wondering how far I could push the questions. “Do you two know where the princess’s rooms are?”

The little boy didn’t stop stuffing his bag as he answered. “No one does. She’s hidden away.”

Now that was interesting. How was it that no one could know where the crown princess was? Or maybe they just didn’t know because they were kids.

I gathered more fruit, mostly mangoes and bananas, when a thought struck me. “How did you two get in here anyway? The door was locked.”

Grinning, the little boy pointed at the grate under his feet. “Pipes run all under the Deep. Since you’re an Terraling, you just got to be able to hold your breath.” He stepped off the grate, slid his fingers through it and flicked it open. He and his sister—with their bags of food—slid into the water, pulling the grate closed over them with barely a splash.

With the children gone, I slipped out of the kitchen and made my way to our room. The matter of the food being withheld from the people explained a lot. The lack of motivation, the sheer fact so few people were up and around and those who were barely registered anyone around them. The only ones eating well were those at the banquet. The nobles and high-ranking officials.

There was a light under the door of our room when I reached it. I knocked softly. “Bella.”

The sound of feet and voices . . . I jiggled the handle, a thread of fear slicing through me. “Bella.”

Feet on the padded floor, the rustle of cloth and then the door opened, but it was not who I expected to be standing there.

Familiar honey-gold eyes stared into mine, blond hair catching the light. His leather vest was open at the throat, baring an expanse of sun-darkened skin. “Ender, your timing as always is impeccable.”

I swallowed hard, unable to speak, my mind caught up with what had been going on behind the closed door before I’d knocked. “I found mangoes.” The urge to slap my head with my hand was strong, but I held the bag in front of me and pushed my way in. “You got my message then . . .”

Belladonna was stretched out on the bed on her side, her hand resting in the curve of her waist. A smile on her lips like the cat that had snuck into the creamery and had its fill.

I laid the bag of fruit on the table, reminding myself that Ash didn’t like Belladonna in the least.

He folded his arms over his chest. “No, I didn’t get your message. Your father decided it would be best if we were both out of the way while the ambassador from the Pit decides our fate. You weren’t the only one killing Enders.” Ah, there was that.

I narrowed my eyes at him, looking him over. He didn’t get the message, which meant he didn’t understand how much trouble we were in.

Which could mean he wasn’t here to help us at all. I didn’t want to believe it of him, but if our father was trying to bump us off, and wanted to be sure it happened . . . sending another Ender would be good insurance.

“How did you get in here? Belladonna, I told you not to let anyone in except me.”

Belladonna sat up and I put myself between her and Ash. His eyes widened slightly as he took in my stance. “You don’t think I’m here to hurt you, do you?”

“How did you get in here?” I repeated. My muscles strummed with building adrenaline. I didn’t want to fight him, but what option would I have if he attacked my sister?

He folded his arms and stared hard at me. “The humans send in boats full of food. How do you think the fruit gets here? I hitched a ride with one of them. As to this room. I knocked, the princess let me in.”

Belladonna laughed softly. “How brilliant. Perhaps we should try that next time, Lark, instead of rowing into shark infested waters.”

Heat suffused my cheeks. It was a smart move, but how was I to know about the shipping lanes? No one had suggested it to me. There were a lot of things not adding up.

“Ash, I need to speak to the ambassador privately.” I pointed to the door.

His eyebrows shot up, but he backed out closing the door behind him.

I turned to see Belladonna on her knees on the bed. I put a finger to my lips as I approached her. Crouching beside the bed I forced myself to think like a chess player. Where would I put the pieces if I wanted to take out those who caused me grief?

Belladonna put a hand on my shoulder, her gray eyes thoughtful. “I think he’s here to make sure we don’t survive.” Her words echoed my own suspicions.

Pain zinged through me at the thought of not being able to trust Ash, but I nodded. “I agree. There was no talk of sending him away, why Father would send both of his Enders at the same time . . . this doesn’t make sense.”

“What do we do? Requiem is the devil incarnate. Do you know he is starving his people?”

“How did you figure that out?”

She snorted softly. “At the banquet. The things said and unsaid were all there if you know what you’re looking for. How did you find out?”

“Kids in the kitchen. Requiem is keeping the fish at bay somehow so the people will let him be king if only to be fed.”

The silence between us lasted only a minute or two, but in it I knew we were allies finally. I put my hand over hers on my shoulder.

“We play their game better than them. That is our only chance.”

She chewed her bottom lip. “And Ash?”

“He needs to stay in the dark. If he’s here at Father’s request, to make sure we don’t survive, he can’t know we are working together.”

Bella’s eyes darted to the door, then me. “You’re stronger than him, aren’t you?”

I knew what the real question was. Could I kill him? Shaking my head, I didn’t answer her. She grabbed my face. “You have to be. Or we’re both dead.”